The database is often a site’s main bottleneck. The default MariaDB/MySQL settings know nothing about your data volume or your RAM. Tuning speeds up queries and makes the database stable under load.
The parameters that matter
innodb_buffer_pool_size— the key parameter, sized to your RAM;innodb_log_file_sizeand the flush policy;- connections, timeouts, temporary tables;
- character set and storage engine (InnoDB).
Slow queries
The slow query log is enabled, the heaviest queries analysed and indexes added on frequently filtered fields. A missing index is very often the reason a catalogue or a report drags.
Stability and backups
Regular backups (logical or physical) are set up along with restore verification — because a backup you have never restored is worth nothing.
The stages
- load and data volume analysed;
- configuration tuned to available RAM;
- slow queries found and fixed;
- backups and monitoring.
Common questions
What buffer pool should I set?
Roughly 50–70% of RAM on a dedicated database server — I will size it exactly for your case.
Do I need the query cache?
On current versions usually not — there are better approaches.
Backups without downtime?
Yes, hot backups are configured.
Database slow or unstable? I will configure MariaDB/MySQL for production.
